Toy vehicle construction



Oct. 25, 1966 H. w. FAIRBAIRN 3,280,500

TOY VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 22, 1964 INNEN-roe ATTQRNEWS United States Patent O 3,280,500 TOY VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION Howard W. Fairbairn, Dallington, Northampton, England, assigner to The Mettoy Company Limited Filed .lune 22, 1964, Ser. No. 376,920 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 21, 1963, 24,7 1/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 46-201) The present invention relates to toy vehicles of the character comprising a hollow body, a chassis secured to the underside of the body and an axle carrying a pair of supporting wheels and extending above the chassis and being mounted for limited vertical movement, relative to the body and the chassis, against spring action.

According to the invention, a spring urges the axle downwardly and is formed as an integral portion of a unitary moulding of synthetic resin material, the moulding being located within the body and having a portion or portions projecting outwardly between the body and the chassis and shaped to simulate an external feature or features of the vehicle.

The projecting parts are readily shaped in the moulding operation and by virtue of their being integral with the moulding are securely positioned. The projecting parts are preferably metal coated so as to appear as metal parts, thus adding even further to the realism of the models.

One form of toy vehicle in accordance with the invention is described below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the unitary moulding;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation of the complete toy vehicle; and

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line III-III of FIGURE l.

The toy vehicle shown in the drawings comprises a hollow die-cast body 1 closed from below by a platelike chassis 2, also of die-cast construction. Trapped between the body and the chassis is a unitary synthetic plastic moulding 3 which includes resilient portions which act as the springs in a spring suspension for the axles 4 and 6 of the model, and also includes opposite end portions Which project at the front and rear ends of the model, being shaped to simulate features such as bumpers, a radiator grill and a rear number plate.

These projecting portions can be metal plated by vacuum plating or otherwise, prior to assembly, to give a realistic impression of chromium plating. In practice, it will generally be more convenient to plate the entire moulding.

The plastic moulding 3 comprises a central portion having the form of a generally flat, open, rectangular frame 8, the longitudinal side members 9 of which are formed on their upper and lower surfaces with longitudinal reinforcing ribs 10 which also serve to locate the moulding relative to the body and to the chassis, respectively, as best seen in FIGURE 3. The projecting flanges 11 are plated and appear as metal trims. Extending forwardly from the front transverse member 12 of the frame are two spaced, parallel webs 13, disposed in a vertical plane, each being formed with a downwardly directed fork 14. The two forks serve to locate opposite end portions of the front axle rod 4 of the car, the axle passing between the forks 14 and above the chassis 2. The forks 14 prevent substantial fore and aft movement of the axle rod 4, while allowing some upward movement thereof relative to the body 1 against the restoring action of a pair of spa-ced, flat spring fingers or tongues 16, which project forwardly from the transverse frame member 12, across and above the axle rod 4. Preferably, the springs are so arranged that the minimum clearance between the springs at the points they engage the axle, and the chassis, is greater than the diameter of the axle.

Connected to the forward ends of the vertical webs is a generally plate-like, front end portion Whose forward edge, which projects through the gap between the body and the chassis, is shaped to simulate bumpers 18, while a central thickened portion is shaped to represent a radiator grill 19 and a number plate 21.

The rear portion of the plastic moulding 3 is generally similar to the front portion, being provided with webs 13 and Iforks 14 for locating the rear axle 6, a pair of spring fingers or tongues 16, and a plate-like rear end portion, projecting parts of which simulate rear bumpers 22 and a number plate 23.

The vehicle may include a further plastic moulding indicated in phantom line at 24, to represent the seats and dashboard of the car, this moulding being conveniently located, longitudinally and transversely, in the open frame 8 which form-s the central portion of the moulding 3.

It will be appreciated that with the above described construction there is little likelihood of the plastic bumpers and other projecting parts becoming detached from the body of the vehicle, as would be the case, for example if individual mouldings representing these parts were attached to the body as separate items.

Finally, it should be noted that the tion is given by way of example only, many modifications in the details thereof being possible within the scope of the invention; for example, the axles might be arranged to overlie the spring lingers, being held to them by small hooks formed integrally at the ends of the fingers.

What is claimed is:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a hollow body, a chassis secured to the underside of the body, an axle carrying a pair of supporting wheels and extending above the chassis and being mounted for limited vertical movement relative to the body and the chassis, and a unitary moulding of synthetic resin material within the body, the said moulding including a resilient portion which acts as a spring urging the axle downwardly relative to the body, and having at least one portion projecting outwardly between the body and the chassis and shaped to simulate an exterior feature of the vehicle.

2. A toy vehicle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the said projecting portion of the moulding is coated with metal so as to appear as a metal part.

3. A toy vehicle in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said moulding is formed with vertical guide forks for locating the said axle, the said resilient portion of said moulding extending across and above the axle and opposing its upward movement in the said forks.

4. A toy vehicle comprising a hollow die cast body open from below, a plate-like chassis secured to said body to close the said body from below, a front and a rear axle, eac'h carrying a pair of supporting wheels and each extending across and above said chassis, and a unitary moulding of synthetic resin material trapped within said hollow body by said chassis, said moulding being formed integrally with a medial portion in the form of an open frame lying at against said chassis, means delining a pair of vertical guide forks to the front of said frame and a pair of vertical guide forks to the rear of foregoing descrip- 3 4 said frame, each said pair of guide forks serving to locate References Cited by the Examiner one of said axles and guide the same for vertical move- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment relative to said body and said chassis, a plurality of flat, spring tongues joined integrally at their roots with 21749562 6/1956 Bottleman 46-223 said frame, some of said tongues extending forwardly 5 3,009287 11/1961 Davis 46.222 across and above said front axle and the remainder of FOREIGN PATENTS said tongues extending rearwardly across and above said rear axle,'and a plurality of portions projecting outwardly 971782 10/1964 Great Bmam' between said body and said chassis, said portions being shaped to simulate external features of said vehicle and 10 RICHARD C' PINKHAM Primary Examiner' being metal-coated to appear as metal parts. F. B. LEONARD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TOY VEHICLE COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY, A CHASSIS SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BODY, AN AXLE CARRYING A PAIR OF SUPPORTING WHEELS AND EXTENDING ABOVE THE CHASSIS AND BEING MOUNTED FOR LIMITED VERTICAL MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE BODY AND THE CHASSIS, AND A UNITARY MOULDING OF SYNTHETIC RESIN MATERIAL WITHIN THE BODY, THE SAID MOULDING INCLUDING A RESILIENT PORTION WHICH ACTS AS A SPRING URGING THE AXLE DOWNWARDLY RELATIVE TO THE BODY, AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE PORTION PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE CHASSIS AND SHAPED TO SIMULATE AN EXTERIOR FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE. 